Monday, November 28, 2016

Random Savage Encounters

The Dreadful Wilderness is a terrible and dangerous place. Even the most skilled ranger never lets her guard down. Sorcerers are all over the place doing who-knows-what, freakish creatures wander the land tearing human travelers various new holes, and to top it all off there are savages. Once human (or arguably still human ... sort of) these freaks are always more than slightly dangerous.

A battle, once started, is always to the death. Savages never retreat and never surrender.

Parley is an option, but each savage tribe has something different they want or respect.

Savages aren't mindless killing machines, but they aren't the most intelligent of foes.

Cannibals. All of them. Seriously - they want to eat you, it is just a matter of if they have an opportunity.

What Do They Look Like?
Each tribe has a particular mode of dress.

Ragged animal hides

Looted Imperial armor with crested helms

Fancy nobility clothing - they see no difference between a doublet and a gown

Loin cloth and open vest

Shiny purple trousers and natty hats

Military uniforms, hair style determines rank

Pinstriped white shirt and pants, two-tone face paint

Kilts and Woad and a lot of spiked hair

Three-piece suits ... made of human skin

Nude - dongs swinging and heavily pierced

Flak vests and desert camouflage clothes

Space suits, only the elite have mirrored helmets

What are they Wielding?
Weapons tend to be similar among a tribe, but there are various.

Spiked baseball bats

Rusty two-handed swords

Cobbled together pole arms, mostly pikes and halberds

Spear and shield, javelins in a pack on their back

Big-ass hunting knife and a 9mm pistols

Weaponized hedge clippers

Bolo, nets, and pointy sticks

Bow and arrow; leaders have crossbows

Flame throwers

R-89 Light Pulse Rifle with E-phase modulators

What are they Up To?
Savages aren't just wandering around looking for things to kill.

Looking for another tribe of Savages to (1-3) fight or (4-6) trade with

Under orders from some Sorcerer

Searching for lost tribe members (50% children have been abducted)

Hauling some huge machine somewhere

Under the influence of weird mushrooms - they are oddly friendly

Playing a sport of some kind, 50% with another tribe, 50% it is to the death

Returning from a conquest loaded down with loot

Scouting, 25% they were trying to spy on the party

Looking to kill the party, eat them, and loot their stuff

Looking to torture the party, then kill them, eat them, and loot their stuff